How Intelligent Routing Is Revolutionizing Logistics Operations with AI and Big Data

The 9th China Logistics Technology Summit was held in Shanghai on August 11‑12, 2020, gathering global logistics technology leaders to discuss post‑pandemic industry shifts, new‑infrastructure opportunities, and intelligent solutions for manufacturing, warehousing, and delivery.

Le Aihua, head of digital operations at ZTO Express, was invited to share the company’s digital transformation practices.

Route planning involves designing a transport network and vehicle‑dispatch schedule that optimizes both timeliness and resource utilization under constraints of business volume, hub capacity, and fleet resources.

With ZTO’s rapid business growth, the increasing number of hubs, vehicles, routes, and lines has made the land‑transport network highly complex, causing manual routing to lag, leading to resource waste and delivery delays.

Le Aihua explained that ZTO’s intelligent routing combines real‑time data, AI, and machine‑learning algorithms, focusing on three dimensions: historical review, real‑time dispatch, and special‑event planning. This creates a closed‑loop system that enables pre‑emptive warnings, execution monitoring, and post‑analysis.

The intelligent routing solution improves logistics timeliness, reduces operating costs, enhances service quality, and lowers consumption of social and natural resources.

After the presentation, Le Aihua participated in a round‑table discussion on the opportunities and challenges the logistics sector faces in the post‑pandemic era.

The pandemic accelerated e‑commerce adoption, expanding the downstream courier market and creating sustained growth driven by habitual online shopping.

Consequently, logistics is not only a carrier of goods but also a vital link between individuals and the external world, becoming increasingly important as foundational infrastructure.

To stay competitive, leading logistics firms must prepare for hard battles, continuously improve quality, and maintain stability as key competitive advantages.